Looking back at the Cardinals' 10 most disappointing prospects of the past decade

The St. Louis Cardinals' ability to develop players has gone down the toilet in recent years, as many highly touted prospects have failed to live up to expectations within the organization, and a large number have found success after leaving the team. Sandy Alcantara, Zac Gallen, Randy Arozarena and Adolis Garcia were all on various top prospect lists for the Cardinals, and they have all exploded after departing to their new teams.

It's still too early to tell how some of the Cardinals' scuffling young players will pan out. Jordan Walker, the team's top-ranked prospect in 2022 and 2023 and one of the highest-ranked prospects in the league at that time, has struggled to get the ball in the air, and Dylan Carlson, the Cardinals' top prospect in 2020 and 2021, has fallen off dramatically since crafting a promising rookie season, but time is still on these players' side to get things figured out.

The 2024 draft will begin on July 14, where the Cardinals will attempt to chisel productive major leaguers out of raw talent. New faces will dot the team's prospect rankings, and the hope is that at least a few of them will live up to their potential. But as you'll see in this article, that's all too often not the case.

This article will take a look at 10 players who graced several of the top Cardinals prospects lists since 2014 but never made a major mark within the organization. The rankings will acknowledge the expectations placed upon a player and compare them with how he actually performed. Note that Oscar Taveras will not be on the list given that his life was cut short before he could establish what kind of player he would turn out to be.

10. Nick Plummer

The Cardinals drafted Nick Plummer, an advanced high school outfielder, in the first round of the 2015 amateur draft, but he spent only two seasons on Baseball America's top prospects list for the Cardinals, where he ranked eighth in 2016 and 24th in 2017.

Plummer hit .228 and led the Gulf Coast League with 39 walks in his first taste of professional baseball after being drafted, but he later underwent two surgeries on his hand, which knocked him out for the entire 2016 season. Once healthy, Plummer toiled in A-ball for three years, hitting .198 in 2017, .205 in 2018 and .176 in 2019.

The Cardinals decided to let Plummer sink or swim in 2021 by promoting him despite his issues, and he responded with a surprisingly strong season after adjusting his batting stance, hitting .280 with 15 home runs across Double-A and Triple-A. Despite Plummer's breakout, the Cardinals didn't retain his services, and he signed with the New York Mets.

Plummer popped back up in the prospect conversation with the Mets in 2022, earning Baseball America's No. 13 spot for the team, but his cup of coffee with the Mets didn't go well, as he hit just .138 in 31 plate appearances.

Plummer's appearances with the Mets comprised his only major league games in a career that saw a first-round pick who appeared to finally be emerging as a late bloomer fizzle out once again.

9. Tim Cooney

The 117th overall pick in the 2012 draft, left-handed pitcher Tim Cooney was considered a polished product out of Wake Forest who could rise quickly through the Cardinals' system on the strength of his control: In 2012 and 2013, his first two minor league seasons, Cooney walked only 1.3 batters per nine innings. He received minor league All-Star nods in 2013 and 2015.

Cooney was having an excellent season with Triple-A Memphis in 2015, holding a 2.74 ERA, when injuries in the Cardinals rotation necessitated Cooney's services in the major leagues. He was knocked around in his first start, going 2.1 innings and surrendering seven hits and three runs, but he was able to right the ship in his next five starts, ultimately holding a 3.16 ERA. His season was cut short after a bout with appendicitis.

Baseball America was high on Cooney after his promising 2015 season, ranking him second on the Cardinals top 30 prospects list. Unfortunately, Cooney would miss all of 2016 with a shoulder injury suffered in Spring Training, and the Cleveland Indians claimed him off waivers after the season.

Injuries bit Cooney again at the beginning of 2017, and he pitched only three innings with Cleveland's Rookie League affiliate before being granted free agency after the season and never latching on with another team.

Before injuries derailed his career, Cooney had the upside of a No. 4 starter in the Cardinals rotation. He pursued higher education after his time in baseball and graduated with a Master of Business Administration from the Wharton School of Business in 2020.

8. Dakota Hudson

Dakota Hudson was the epitome of the Cardinals' ground ball-oriented pitching philosophy throughout the 2010s. Taken out of Mississippi State with the 34th overall pick in 2016, the right-hander was seen as a pitcher with a strong sinker and slider but who needed to work on his command. In 2019, he was the Cardinals' third-ranked prospect.

The concerns about his ability to locate his pitches were well founded in pro ball. Despite a strong season out of the bullpen during his rookie year in 2018, where he had a 2.63 ERA, Hudson walked 18 batters in 27.1 innings. In 2019, he was named the Cardinals' fifth starter and proceeded to lead the major leagues in walks, with 86, although he also allowed the league's highest percentage of ground balls (56.9%) and the lowest percentage of fly balls (21.3%).

After undergoing Tommy John surgery at the end of 2020, Hudson missed nearly all of 2021. In 2022, Hudson held a 4.45 ERA in 27 games, 26 of them starts, and he had the major leagues' lowest strikeout-to-walk ratio, at 1.3.

The Cardinals sent Hudson to Memphis at the start of the 2023 season in an attempt to coax more velocity out of him, but after a 6.00 ERA there and a 4.98 ERA in the major leagues when filling in for injured starters, the Cardinals let Hudson walk in free agency.

Hudson signed with the Colorado Rockies for the 2024 season, the Rockies likely hoping that his sinker would play well in the high altitude, but he currently leads the National League in losses and walks.

Just getting to the major leagues is an accomplishment for many players, but the Cardinals clearly had higher hopes for a first-round pick than him turning out to be one of the worst starting pitchers in the major leagues.

7. Carlos Martinez

Carlos Martinez had as much pure stuff as any pitcher in recent memory, and he showed flashes of greatness during his nine seasons with the Cardinals, but the volatile hurler's inability to put everything together for a sustained stretch led to frustration from the club and from fans.

The Cardinals signed Martinez out of the Dominican Republic for a $1.5 million bonus in 2010 and skipped him over the lower minor league levels, and he eventually made his debut with the Cardinals in 2013 at age 21. Baseball America had Martinez ranked as the team's third-best prospect at the time and 38th in all of baseball.

Martinez was inserted into the Cardinals starting rotation in 2015, the year in which he made his first All-Star appearance. He finished with a 3.01 ERA, although a shoulder strain in late September led him to miss the postseason.

Early in 2016, Martinez briefly left the team to settle a civil suit filed against him, with suspected domestic violence allegations. Unfazed, the Cardinals signed Martinez to a five-year extension in 2017, where he would make his second All-Star appearance. However, injuries and off-the-field controversies would soon become emblematic of Martinez's career.

In 2019, while recovering from an oblique strain, Martinez was criticized by the Cardinals for not following the proper rehab process, which delayed his arrival and led him to serve as the team's closer instead of being stretched out to start. Off the field, Martinez was seen violating COVID-19 restrictions in the Dominican Republic in 2020.

After the Cardinals declined his option for 2022, Martinez attempted to catch on with the San Franciso Giants but was released in May. He was then suspended for 80 games after testing positive for a banned substance and was soon suspended for 85 more games after violating MLB's domestic violence, sexual assault and child abuse policy.

Now pitching in the Mexican League, Martinez shouldn't be considered a failure with the Cardinals, but for a player with so much talent, it's hard not to think of his time in St. Louis as one with so much unfulfilled promise.

6. Delvin Perez

The Cardinals thought they had a steal on their hands when they took shortstop Delvin Perez 23rd overall in 2016 after the top-10 talent tumbled down draft boards because of reports that he used a performance-enhancing substance. Baseball America rated Perez third in the team's system in 2017 and 86th overall.

Perez displayed promise defensively, but the shortstop once compared to Carlos Correa lost his power and ability to impact the ball once he began playing professionally, failing to hit a home run in 2017 and hitting just one in 2018 and one in 2019. He was often stymied by breaking pitches out of the zone, and he walked just 27 times in 506 plate appearances with High-A Peoria in 2019.

Perez provided hope that he might have found something during the COVID-19 shutdown of the minor leagues, appearing in camp at 2022 with more muscle, which allowed him to drive the ball more and hit four home runs with a .339 slugging percentage.

The excitement didn't last, as Perez hit only .223 across Double-A and Triple-A in 2022. After the season, he was signed as a free agent by the New York Yankees. but Perez failed to impress in Double-A with his new club, hitting just .170 in 71 plate appearances.

The Cardinals were hoping that their seemingly endless search for a homegrown shortstop would finally come to a close with Perez, but he was never able to make the final leap and contribute to the major leagues.

5. Marco Gonzales

The Cardinals have always liked taking college pitching early in the draft, and they chose southpaw Marco Gonzales with the 13th overall pick in 2013. He ascended the Cardinals system rapidly and debuted in the major leagues just a year after being drafted, reaching the top spot on Baseball America's Cardinals prospects list and 50th in all of baseball in 2015.

Gonzales pitched to a 4.15 ERA in 10 appearances throughout the 2014 season, but injuries would besiege his Cardinals career. He missed time in 2015 with a shoulder injury and then spent all of 2016 on the shelf after undergoing Tommy John surgery.

Gonzales made one start for the Cardinals in 2017, which didn't go well, as he surrendered six hits and five earned runs in 3.1 innings. On July 21, the Cardinals made a one-for-one trade when they sent Gonzales to the Seattle Mariners for outfielder Tyler O'Neill.

With Seattle, Gonzales found his stride. From 2018 to 2021, he had a 3.88 ERA in 582.2 innings, and he led the major leagues with an eye-popping 9.14 strikeout-to-walk ratio during the abridged 2020 season. He was less effective in his last two seasons with the Mariners, and they traded him to the Atlanta Braves in December 2023, who then shipped him to the Pittsburgh Pirates two days later.

Gonzales was rarely fully healthy in St. Louis, which likely played a part in his inability to reach his full potential with the Cardinals. With Seattle, he eventually met most of the expectations that were placed upon him when the Cardinals drafted him.

4. Carson Kelly

Drafted in the second round at No. 86 in 2012, Carson Kelly was selected as a third baseman but converted to catcher in 2013, as the staff hoped he would be the eventual successor to Yadier Molina as the Cardinals' starting catcher. But as Molina kept chugging along behind the plate through his later years, Kelly continued to spend most of his time in the minor leagues, leading him to appear on Baseball America's top Cardinals prospects lists six years in a row and peak at 55th out of all prospects.

Kelly was originally a glove-first backstop, but in 2016, he found a new gear with his bat, hitting .289 in 362 plate appearances with the Cardinals' Double-A and Triple-A affiliates. That season, he received 75 plate appearances with St. Louis but hit only .174.

The Cardinals realized that Kelly wasn't going to get any younger, nor was he receiving meaningful major league experience behind Molina, so after Kelly hit a combined .154 across parts of three seasons with the Cardinals, they traded him to the Arizona Diamondbacks as part of the Paul Goldschmidt deal on Dec. 5, 2018.

The deal worked out well for the Cardinals, as Goldschmidt won the MVP in 2022. With Arizona, Kelly hit .230 over four-plus seasons as the starting catcher before being released in August of 2023 and signing as a free agent with the Detroit Tigers.

Kelly has developed into a starting catcher in the major leagues, but he was never going to get his shot to evolve as a player in St. Louis. Molina's presence was a welcome one for so many years, but it can't be denied that it stunted the growth of catchers like Kelly.

2. Jack Flaherty

Jack Flaherty was taken 34th overall in 2014 and looked the part of a potential ace for the Cardinals after his velocity developed in 2017. Baseball America ranked him as the Cardinals' No. 2 prospect and 53rd in baseball for 2018. He possessed a lights-out fastball and a sharp slider, and for one magical half season, he put it all together in St. Louis. But continual injuries would sap Flaherty of his juice and leave him an inconsistent pitcher for most of his time with the Cardinals.

Flaherty's first full season in 2018 was promising, as he held a 3.34 ERA and finished fifth in National League Rookie of the Year voting. Through the first half of 2019, Flaherty had an underwhelming 4.64 ERA, but he then embarked on a ridiculous stretch through the remainder of the season, holding an 0.91 ERA and winning the Pitcher of the Month award in August and September.

Flaherty looked to have all the momentum in the world, but he stepped back in the shortened 2020 season, with a 4.91 ERA. In 2021, injuries began to bite. After winning his salary arbitration case, Flaherty went on the injured list with an oblique strain. Shortly after returning, he was placed on the IL again, this time with a shoulder strain. He ended the season with a 3.22 ERA.

Flaherty's shoulder continued to bark in 2022, leading him to miss Spring Training and the start of the season. After his third start, he was again placed on the IL with more shoulder woes. He had a 4.25 ERA in only 36 innings on the season.

The Cardinals traded Flaherty to the Baltimore Orioles at the 2023 deadline, and he had massive issues there, with a 6.75 ERA, but he has turned things around since signing with the Detroit Tigers in 2024, holding an ERA of 3.22 with 94 strikeouts in 72.2 innings.

Flaherty's potential was considered sky-high, and what's more frustrating is that fans saw a glimpse of him reaching that in 2019, only for it to be taken away by injuries. That inconsistency, along with his outspoken political statements online, often didn't endear him to the fans, but there's no doubt that when Flaherty was at his best, he was among the most dominant pitchers in the game.

1. Alex Reyes

The Cardinals' most hyped pitching prospect in many years, Alex Reyes had a sizzling fastball and a devastating curveball, but a black cat must have crossed his path at some point, because there seemed to be no limit of injuries that eventually ruined the blindingly bright outlook for his career.

Reyes signed with the Cardinals out of the Dominican Republic in 2012 for $950,000. After pitching to a 2.49 ERA in 2015, Reyes was suspended for 50 games after testing positive for marijuana. Reyes made his first appearance with the Cardinals in 2016, with a 1.57 ERA in 12 games. Before 2017, he was ranked as the No. 4 prospect in all of baseball.

Before the 2017 season, Reyes was diagnosed with a torn UCL and had Tommy John surgery, missing the season. Returning from injury on May 30, Reyes pitched one inning with the Cardinals before going down with a lat strain, ending his 2018 season.

Reyes spent most of 2019 in the minor leagues after shaky performances in the Cardinals bullpen to start the season. In late April, Reyes broke a finger on his left hand after punching a wall in frustration, leading him to pitch only 28 innings in Memphis.

Reyes was back in the major leagues for the short 2020 season, pitching to an ERA of 3.20. 2021 was Reyes' best professional season. In the first half, he had a 1.12 ERA and saved 20 games as the team's closer, but the second half went poorly, with a 5.52 ERA in 31 innings, and he was removed from the role.

Reyes missed all of 2022 with a shoulder injury, and the Cardinals non-tendered him after the season. He was signed by the Los Angeles Dodgers, but he underwent another shoulder procedure, costing him 2023 as well. The Dodgers did not re-sign him after 2023.

Reyes endured multiple careers' worth of injuries in his nine professional seasons. The pitcher once thought to be a no-doubt ace for the Cardinals might have been able to live up to his potential if health were not a factor, but the constant damage to his body left Reyes as the Cardinals' most bitter disappointment of the past decade.

The Cardinals were able to flip some of the players on this list for some value (Marco Gonzales, Carson Kelly, Luke Weaver), but for others, their luster had been lost and the Cardinals could barely give them away. Whether it was related to injury, performance or both, these 10 players never quite met the expectations that the Cardinals and fans had for them.